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Raro scrimshaw di grande dente di balena in verticale a bassorilievo un marinaio

$8,083.44List Price

About the Item

Raro scrimshaw di un grande dente di balena raffigurante in verticale a bassorilievo il profilo di un baleniere barbuto e con cappello in testa, altezza cm 16. Databile attorno alla metà del XIX secolo. Sul retro la seguente scritta incisa: Here’s death to the living. Long Life to Killer. Kisses to sailor’s wives. And greasy Luck to Whale’s. Era il motto ironico e superstizioso di un brindisi tradizionale dei balenieri del XIX secolo, tipico dei marinai del tempo. Esprime fatalismo, coraggio e ironia verso la vita dura e pericolosa dei balemnieri. Here’s death to the living – “Ecco la morte per i vivi”. Si tratta di un’espressione ironica: i balenieri vivevano ogni giorno a stretto contatto con la morte (del mare, della balena o anche dei compagni). Un modo di esorcizzare il pericolo con il sarcasmo tipico dei marinai. Long life to the killer - “Lunga vita all’uccisore” Il killer è il baleniere ed è un augurio di buona sorte e lunga vita a chi affronta la morte ogni giorno. Kisses to sailor’s wives - “Baci alle mogli dei marinai”. Atteggiamento goliardico e malizioso, mentre i marinai sono lontani con il brindisi si mandano baci alle loro mogli. And greasy luck to whalers “E untuosa fortuna ai balenieri”. Fortuna grassa e untuosa era un augurio di buona caccia, perché più grasso producevano le balene, da cui si ricavava l’olio, più ricco diventava il bottino. Era un augurio di successo e prosperità . Buono stato. Misure altezza cm 16x 6,5x4,5– inches altezza 6.25x2.65x1.8. L'ultima foto è la confezione regalo. La parola "scrimshaw" si riferisce a una forma d'arte (e ai diversi prodotti di quest'arte) sviluppatasi a bordo delle baleniere americane tra il 1745 e il 1759 come mezzo di svago per occupare il tempo durante le lunghe ore a bordo; questa forma d'arte consisteva in un processo di incisione e intaglio di ossa e denti di balena, con cui veniva realizzata una vasta gamma di oggetti sia di uso comune che ornamentali, che di solito erano realizzati come souvenir per i membri della propria famiglia. Nella scelta dei materiali il primo era sicuramente il dente d'avorio del capodoglio. Solo la punta del dente era liscia ed era necessario preparare il resto della superficie ruvida lucidandola. Il dente era ben immerso in acqua salata o calda, spesso con l'aggiunta di potassio. Quindi veniva utilizzata una lima per strofinare e arrotondare la superficie, e infine una carta vetrata fine per completare il processo. L'ultima fase della lucidatura veniva eseguita con pomice o cenere e poi il dente veniva strofinato ancora con il palmo della mano. Ogni passaggio doveva essere eseguito molto lentamente per non intaccare la superficie liscia del dente. Per quanto riguarda i soggetti da incidere, i più diffusi erano il disegno di una nave o scene di cattura dei cetacei, realizzati con un ago o un coltello, o una lama appropriata: per esempio grazie a Herman Melville sappiamo che alcuni balenieri avevano scatole di strumenti da dentista appositamente progettate per lo scrimshandering. L'origine dello scrimshandering, come lo chiamavano i balenieri, cioè l'arte di realizzare scrimshaw, è un mistero: le teorie spaziano dall'individuarne l'origine nella cultura eschimese oppure presso i nativi americani, fino all'enfatizzare l'influenza degli isolani dei Mari del Sud. La spiegazione di Edouard A. Stackpole (1903 -1993), giornalista americano, scrittore e storico di caccia alle balene, è forse la più plausibile: lo scrimshaw sarebbe stato semplicemente lo sviluppo marittimo dell'antica arte di intagliare l'avorio, così come era stata praticata per secoli, e in quanto forma d'arte popolare non sarebbe stato altro che un adattamento da parte dei balenieri americani di un antico mestiere.

Dimensions:
Height: 6.25 in (15.88 cm)Diameter: 2.65 in (6.74 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Teeth
Period:
1850-1859
Date of Manufacture:
1850
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Milan, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1020237356952

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